Economic Anthropology Study Notes

Introduction to Economic Anthropology

  • ANTH 1a: An exploration of subsistence and social values.

Emic vs. Etic Perspectives

  • Emic Perspective: Represents the viewpoint of a cultural insider, focusing on understanding cultural phenomena from within the cultural context.

  • Etic Perspective: Represents an outsider's approach, typically scholarly or analytical, that assesses cultural phenomena from an external viewpoint.

  • Cultural anthropologists aim to grasp the emic perspective while also incorporating an etic perspective to enhance their interpretations.

The Ontological(本体论/存在论) Turn

  • A recent shift in anthropological methodology and understanding known as the ontological turn involves recognizing and honoring different culturally imagined worlds as actual worlds.

  • Advantages: Levels the epistemological playing field, enabling more equitable understanding across cultures.

  • Disadvantages: It poses challenges for analysis from an etic perspective without undermining the principles of the ontological turn.

Key Ideas

  • Introduction to economic anthropology and the necessity to challenge certain assumptions regarding culture and economy.

  • The importance of understanding various production and subsistence strategies across cultures.

  • Focused case studies on the San people, especially regarding their quality of life and cultural values (e.g., the significance of the Christmas ox).

  • Film to be discussed next: "N!ai" which further investigates these themes.

Aspects of Economic Organization

  • Three primary aspects of a society's economic organization:

    • Production: The creation of food and other goods.

    • Distribution: The exchange and allocation of goods.

    • Consumption: The process of utilizing these goods.

  • Economic organization is deeply interrelated with social structures, cultural values, and inequality.

  • An anthropological perspective on economies may disrupt conventional assumptions previously held.

Historical Context: 19th Century Cultural Evolutionism

  • The notion that societies evolve through stages towards civilization:

    • Stage I: Primitive promiscuity with hunters and gatherers, associated with animism and belief in spirits.

    • Stage II: Matrilineal(母系) descent with horticulture(园艺系) and totemism(图腾制度).

    • Stage III: Patrilineal descent, with agriculture, ancestor worship, and the beginnings of metalwork in villages and towns.

    • Stage IV: Civilized society characterized by monogamy, capitalism, and monotheism in patriarchal nuclear families situated in cities.

  • This classification draws from the theories of 19th-century sociologists and anthropologists including Lewis Henry Morgan and Herbert Spencer.

Thomas Hobbes’ Philosophy

  • In his work "Leviathan" (1651), Hobbes conceptualizes the pre-governmental state of humanity as a “warre of every man against every man,” leading to a life described as:

    • A state with no knowledge, no record of time, no art, no letters, and no society.

    • Characterized by constant fear and danger of violent death, leading to a life that is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.

Production/Subsistence Strategies

  • Dominant strategies in societies for obtaining resources (though societies may utilize multiple strategies):

    1. Foraging: Hunting and gathering for food.

    2. Horticulture: Subsistence gardening techniques.

    3. Pastoralism: Domesticating and using animals.

    4. Agriculture: Intensive cultivation of crops through systematic tilling.

    5. Industrialism & Informatics: Modern production systems that rely on complex technologies.

Historical Context of Foraging Societies

  • Homo Sapiens: Emerged around 200,000 years ago, predominantly living as foragers until approximately 10,000 years ago, leading to a significant decline in the population of foragers by 200 years ago.

  • Definition of Foraging: Gathering and hunting food from local and naturally occurring sources.

Characteristics of Arctic Foraging Societies (e.g., the Inuit)

  • Traditionally, foraging societies like the Inuit displayed:

    • Low population density.

    • Impermanence of settlements.

    • Minimal private property.

The Politics of Naming: The San Peoples

  • The San are a collection of indigenous peoples in Southern Africa known for speaking various click languages and a lifestyle centered on hunting and gathering. Key sub-groups include:

    • Ju/'hoansi (also known as !Kung)

    • G|wi

    • Kxoe

    • Nharo

    • Masarwa

    • Sangua

    • Sarwa

    • Soaqua

    • !Xu

  • Dutch explorers labeled them as “Bushmen” in the 17th century, a term now viewed as derogatory.

  • The !Kung refer to themselves as Ju/'hoansi, meaning “real people.”

San Tools and Cultural Artefacts

  • Exhibit of San tools in a Cape Town museum (2016):

    • Apical Bishan: Crafted from ostrich eggshell; used for containing water.

    • Quivers and other tools, reflecting the ingenuity and adaptability of the San in their foraging lifestyle.

Richard Lee's Study on Hunter-Gatherers

  • Richard Lee's work titled “The Hunters” challenges the stereotype that hunter-gatherers endure a life of hard struggle.

  • Lee employed quantitative methodologies to document the lives of hunter-gatherers, demonstrating resilience and comfortable living conditions despite theories suggesting otherwise.

  • Aimed to counter ethnocentric assumptions regarding the San's way of life.

San Rock Art

  • Cultural expression through rock art, significant in understanding the historical and cultural narratives of the San people.

Cultural Values in the San Society

  • Lee discusses values reflected in **